My favorite course of study would probably have to be the class I took this summer, The Lives of 007. The class treated the James Bond series as a serious piece of social and cultural study. The class allowed for analysis of the films as text; one of my favorite parts of studying cinema. The course also allotted for frequent entertainment as we watched a Bond movie every day, three times a week.
2. How many pages was the longest paper you have written? Did it include endnotes and bibliography?
The longest paper I ever wrote was 16 pages including bibliography. It was for my Advanced First Year Writing course.
3. Which was your favorite paper? Please tell us about the topic in a couple of sentences.
One of my favorite papers was the final paper written for The Lives of 007. We were told to write a monographic paper, 10 - 15 pages in length, on one aspect of the Bond canon. I chose to write about the automobiles of James Bond. I absolutely love cars, especially exotics, and figured there was enough material within the Bond series to write about them. I argued that the automobiles of 007 served as more than mere spectacle, but were utilized to reinforce ideals of classism and national superiority.
4. Is there a particular kind of writing you love to do?
I particularly enjoy writing analytical pieces because I feel that through my use of rhetoric I can typically formulate a strong argument for or against any given topic.
5. Which books have you read lately: art, fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, poetry, environmental, film? Any comments are welcome.
Over the summer I read Casino Royale by Ian Flemming, the first Bond novel. I enjoyed reading the book because the class afforded me the opportunity to contrast the 2006 film with the novel. I concluded that I enjoy the film better, on the basis that the Bond canon has had 40 years to evolve through film, whereas Casino Royale was the first of the Bond novels.
6. Which artist or writer really impresses you? Why?
Darren Aronofsky. I consider him an artist of cinema. He has the resources of big-budget Hollywood with the aesthetic of an independent filmmaker. He writes and directs his own films, something I truly value in a filmmaker. He also utilizes both Film and Digital capture, an approach that I think enriches all his films.
7. What is your main interest besides writing, art, music, (i.e., the humanities)?
Cars. I’m absolutely obsessed with the automobile. Aesthetics, performance, mechanics, you name it and it will most likely peak my interest. If I could pick any new car right now for a reasonable price ;) it would be a 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Cosworth CS400.
8. Please describe briefly an article in a newspaper or a magazine that got you thinking lately.
The other night I was “stumbling” and came across an article that asked a very interesting question, “What if the Tea Party were black?” The argument was framed as follows. What if a group of black Americans marched on the capital with signs stating, ‘We’re armed and dangerous’ and spitting at congresspeople as they entered the capital building? Would it be considered exorcising their first amendment right? Or would it be deemed an out of control riot? The article concludes that the permissibility of the Tea Party’s angry mob is a classic example of white privilege.
9. Which recent cultural event has really impressed you? This can be a museum, a concert, or anything like that, but also a sports game (if you consider this a cultural event, for which there are good reasons).
As I’ve already touched on in class, my volunteer trip to South Africa was a complete cultural submersion. The different ways of life, customs and attitudes was truly impressive. As I stated in my first assignment, I witnessed a sense of vitality amongst the local children, despite their daily hardships. I think this feeling is best portrayed in the expressions of the boy in the following picture.
10. Is there another, non-cultural event that has affected you deeply.
I was deeply affected when my close older brother left America to live in Thailand for half of a year. But I was profoundly affected to find out, four months into his absence, that he’d decided to stay another year.
11. Please share with us a thought or an idea that really widened your intellectual horizon. If possible, give a source for this idea so that those who are interested know where to go.
I was always told growing up that God was all good, all knowing, and all powerful. This fundamental understanding of God was dismantled by the philosophical work of J. L. Mackie. If God knew of all evil, had the power to stop all evil, and was wholly good, then wouldn’t all evil be squandered by God’s mighty goodness? This philosophical argument revealed to me the necessity of doubt in learning.
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